Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-01-16

there. and Miss Edith was asleep; 80 |
took the candlestick down with me to
clean Il. meaning no harm. But had
the breakfast TO get ready; and
to tel You the truth, Miss Arlnit-
cce, F-~~Jt G'5c-t =. -. 49, y
Ms. Morre!l came down stairs, look
ing rcg'lar pale, and wanting 70 know
who took one Of the candlesticks away
out of Miss Ediths room. said /
had. Then Mrs. Morrell went on mt me
awful. and wanted to know how | dared
do such thing, and ! was TO bring 1t
hack NJ once. Sarah had washed it !;
hut when We came to look for the piece
Of candle that was in it, nowhere could
we find it. / suspect Sarah threw II
into the fire. ! told Mrs. Morrell II
was only little piece, not 50 long as
ny finger. Tut if you believe me,
Miss Armitage, she made as much fuss
over losing that paltry bit of candle
end as some folks would Oyera diamond
necklace. / really didn't think missis
was so mean. | suppose my temper
got up, and when she said | was imper
tinent and should leave, ! told her Ia
20 to-day"
81 fear you have been foolish and
/ hasty, Jane, l said reprovingly.
Lut she went on "The queerest
thing of all, Miss Armitage, is that
when Mrs. Morrell first came into the
kitchen she was as white as a sheet !
should have said she was frightened,
only It seems, ridiculous that any lady
could ever be afraid of losing a candle
end ! can't make it out at all, Miss.
She always is 50. MORALLY stingy with
those candles of Miss Edith's. DO you
know is there anything about them,
Miss. that makes them more valuable
than other candles
Not that am aware Of. "
"Wcll, really, do you know, Miss,
I've sometimes thought there must be
something odd about them, " said Jane,
tuning to go. 81 know, for one thing,
tley'rc not bought with the rest from
the grocer at Beccham, but come all the
way frQm London; so perhaps that's
why Mrs. Morrell sets such store by
them. And now, Miss, III say good
bye
gave the honest girl a little silk
handkerchief as n parting gift and sat
down TO uminate on what had just
heard. 4 drowning man clutches at a
straw. and in my terrible distress %.
mind | was ready to clutch at any th-O
nv. howcyerahsurd, for solving the mys-
ttiy of Ediths illness. James casual
remark about there being sometime
queer about the candies so layishly
lmncd in the sick-room had set me
thinking whether after ali there might
not be something dcletenous i'm
them. intended to act iniuriously
upon the invalid. il was certain th.y
burned very badly, as if there WEI,
some foreign substance incorpordt 'd
in them. On the other hand, ! bal
never in my widest dreams imagined
that there could be such things as poi
souous candles. ! had never heard Of
them before. The theory seemed to
me at best very Wild one; but Elith's
life vas at stake, and was bound 81
go my very uttomost to aid her. Mrs
Morrcrs conduct about the candl's
seemed odd and suspicious all through
2 he Jealous watch she kept over them
her or,ad OF losing them; her unwIl
iiucncss to Let me be in Edith's roolo
by cardlclieht- surely all these extra
ordinary precautions meant something.
Feeling perfectly desperate, | went
back totho sick-room. Edith was lyin
back ON her pillows in utter exhaustion,
and Mrs. Moncll Was softly reading q
chapter Of st. Johns Gospel. Seeing
no other way out Of the difficulty :
said boldly: Mrs. Morrcll, if YOU vii.
go down stairs into the dining-room
think Mr.. Foster wants to speak t.
you.'
1t was an mtruth, but | could not
afford to he too scIupulous. Mrs. Nor
rell disappeared. sprng to the cup
Loald and took two candles out OF IL
box. and ut once went TO hide them
in my room. When the widow came
back saving she could not find her
brother anywhere had seen him
leave the house some time before
arOlogizcd and professcd to have mis-
understood the message. She resumed
her reading, while slipped out Of the
room and hastily put on my outdoor
garments. / knew that IN going out
without leave ut such moment risked
losing MY situation, but ibid not care.
I was in 10 mood to stand upon Ell
quette.
] made my way to the village to the
cottage Of trustworthy man who was
sometimes employed to do odd jobs
about the hall. lie readily promised
TO take my small parcel to DR.. Archer
at once. Had the distance not been
three miles | should have taken it my
self.
| heard nothing from DIR. Archer
during the whole OF the next day, an
/ in perfect torment of doubt and APP
/ urehension / waited and waited, too
! agtatcd TO eat or sleep, seeing Edith
/ grow worse every hour, and fearing
| that after all she would die before tin,
| mystery of her illness could be solved.
| lie WAS in IA state of prOstratiOn fear
| full to witness. Restless and miserable,
| / sat in the sick-rOom OF. wandered
about the house, and had the further
| trial OF seeing that my behavior had az
last aroused suspicion in my employers
minds, and that "a quiet surveillanc,
was kept upon my movements. Al
though / had no appointment, an,
scarcely expected to meet Or
Archer. / cndeavorad to be iu
he afternoon in the hr plan
tation which had already been TN
scene Of several interviews; but Mr..
| Foster 50 decidedly intimated his in
.cntion Of accompanying me if | tooh
q walk that | abandoned the attempt.
detected under the mask of grief so
cIevcrly assumed by both brother anG
sister a subdued eagernoss and restless
ness, attributable, no doubt, to anxiety
as to the success Of their scheme.
| felt that all was as good as lost
when, on entering the sick-room on the
second morning, / found Edith pallid
and almost lifeless, and learned thai
Mrs. Morren, in real or pretended
alarm, had already sent off a messenge.
for Dr. Stevens.
Sick at heart, ] sat down by the bed
side and watched the invalid, who was
too far gone to recognize me, as she
usually did. There came a tap at the
door, and "Please, ma'am, you're
wanted. I'm the voice of one of tn